In 2011, two of the largest logging companies in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula saw the untapped potential in a then vacant sawmill and restarted Florence Hardwoods, LLC.

This unique ownership structure provides our customers with an uncommon certainty – our owners are themselves loggers so there is never a doubt that our log yards can be filled with the raw material necessary to fulfill a customer’s order.

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First-name BasisProcurement

Found within 5 miles of the Brule River dividing northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Florence Hardwoods, LLC is in the heart of highly productive forestland. Our 150 mile procurement radius encompasses superior quality forestlands under a variety of ownership structures – from US Forest Service and multiple other federal holdings, State of Michigan and State of Wisconsin forestlands, various County and Municipal ownerships, and industrial and non-industrial private forestland owners. Landowner diversity coupled with a long-standing logging history within the region ensure that the forest industry in our procurement area is well supported and sufficiently supplied.

As our procurement area is relatively small, we not only know a good portion of the industrial and private landowners and local, state, and federal forest management personnel, we are also on a first-name basis with all of the loggers/truckers that supply the wood to our mill yard. These relationships provide us a keen understanding of each of our supplier’s production capabilities and the quality of the resources.

Perfectly BalancedProduction

Florence Hardwoods, LLC has more than 60 full-time employees, allowing for the perfect balance between production capability and superior product quality. Each cant order run through our facility is 100% to each customer’s specifications (species, grade, width, and length), significantly reducing our customer’s overrun and positively impacting their bottom line. See our Product Gallery for some of the many cant orders we process. We currently run two shifts per day four days a week, with an average daily production of 100,000 board feet per day.

100% Zero Waste Facility

CERTIFICATIONS

The quality of our products are a direct reflection of the forests from which our raw material comes from. A large percentage of our raw material comes from certified forestlands including: State of Michigan, State of Wisconsin, Wisconsin County Forests, and private lands enrolled in Wisconsin Managed Forest Law or the Sustainable Forest Management Resource Network. Additionally, a number of our suppliers are either Michigan Master Logger Certified or Wisconsin Master Logger Certified. These certifications ensure that our suppliers and stakeholders are as committed to sustainable forestry as we are.

ZERO WASTE FACILITY

We here at Florence Hardwoods believe in sustainable forestry and business practices. That is why 100% of the raw material that enters our mill yard is utilized.

ROUNDWOOD

Roundwood from our on-site mill yard is first debarked and then sawn into customer-specific unfinished lumber.

BARK RESIDUE

The bark residue from the debarking process is used to heat our facility and our kiln.

OVERRUN

Overrun (any unused portion of a log after all usable products have been cut from it) from the mill is chipped and sold to local paper companies.

SAWDUST

Sawdust generated as a result of the sawing process is sold for use in products such as animal bedding and the creation of liquid smoke products.

Bolt Species

7” min. inside the bark measured on the small end of log
8” min. on aspen inside the bark on the small end of log
Knots cut flush; no more than 4 knots per stick

Diameter

7” min. inside the bark measured on the small end of log
8” min. on aspen inside the bark on the small end of log
Knots cut flush; no more than 4 knots per stick

Length

Minimum 100”
Preferably 102”-106”

HEARTWOOD

50% of the diameter of Hard Maple log may be heartwood
Absolutely no rot accepted; MUST be sound

SURFACE DEFECTS

Butt flares must be trimmed

OTHER DEFECTS

Cull deductions may be taken for crotches, cat face, dirty wood, stain, shake, spiral seam, dead wood, butt shatter, dry checked wood, disease or fire scarred wood.